511 Contra Costa

Caldecott Fourth Bore Medallion Design Competition

Trucy Phan — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:02:30 +0000

Above the new Caldecott Fourth Bore, six medallions designed by students in K-12 from Contra Costa and Alameda counties will be cast in concrete. The medallions adorning the entrances of the original two bores were designed in the mid-1930s, and the Caldecott Tunnel and the portals were designated a City of Oakland Landmark in 1980.

The Caldecott Fourth Bore Medallion Design Competition will have two phases.

Phase I

The public is invited to vote for a theme on which the medallion designs will be based.

Click here to vote for a Caldecott Medallion design theme before February 19, 2012. They are:

Transportation Through Time
East Bay Habitat
East Bay People, Places & Communities
Technology in our Time – Shaping Lives & Places
Classic Art Deco Revisited
100 Years from Now

Phase II

The contest to design medallions will begin after the theme has been chosen. Students K-12 in Contra Costa and Alameda counties are invited to participate; each East Bay school can submit up to three students’ design proposals.

Student contest winners to design portal adornments for Caldecott Tunnel fourth bore, Contra Costa Times
Caldecott Fourth Bore Medallion Design Competition, caldecott-tunnel.org

New Commuter Handbook

severin — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 16:19:31 +0000

The 4th edition of the one-stop transportation guide for Contra Costa County and the Bay Area is now available.

You’re in luck – you can plan virtually any trip to, from, and within Contra Costa County and the Bay Area with 511CC’s newly updated Commuter Handbook.

Whether you’re traveling by car, plane, taxi, BART, bike, train, carpool, ferry, bus or otherwise, 511CC will help you find your way.

The handbook contains concise information for commuters, employers, students and seniors as well. A few handy sections are summarized below.

Alternative Fuel Locations

Find a list of all charging stations throughout Contra Costa with their contact information and the charger types each respective station supports.

Taxi Services in Contra Costa County

A list of taxi services divided regionally within Contra Costa – Central, East, Southwest, and West.

Biking in Contra Costa County

How to combine bicycle trips with buses, BART, ferries, trains, and which bridges one can cycle over and which offer shuttles. Free resources for paper and online Bay Area trail maps.

Check out the full handbook (in English or Spanish) here.

511CC Week in Review: Jan. 28-Feb. 3, 2012

Trucy Phan — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:24:04 +0000

New bike lockers at BART stations, tubular Transbay Tube news, and LeBron James. Read who made 511CC’s Week in Review:

511CC Week in Review: Jan. 21-Jan. 27, 2012

morgan — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:05:09 +0000

Bay Bridge closure, more about BARTs Fleet of the Future, SF reducing parking anxiety, 2013 electric Ford Fusion

MTC 2012 High School Internship Program

kayla — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:30:06 +0000

Ever wanted to work at 511CC?

Each year MTC sponsors a High School Internship Program. The purpose of the program is to introduce high school students (in the 10th, 11th or 12th grade) to career opportunities in the field of transportation, to show them how public transportation agencies play an overall part in the community, county, and regional transportation operations, and to provide MTC’s transportation partners with assistance.

Through the MTC High School Internship Program, 511 Contra Costa is looking for a summer intern to assist with work related to the development of a bicycle and pedestrian safety program, including a video element designed for high school students. For more information about the MTC High School Internship Program, click here. Application deadline is March 8, 2012.

A List of Don’ts for Women on Bicycles Circa 1895

Ruth Miller — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:00:34 +0000

The following list of 41 don’ts for female cyclists was published in 1895 in the newspaper New York World by an author of unknown gender. Special thanks to Brainpickings.org for compiling the list!

Don’t be a fright.
Don’t faint on the road.
Don’t wear a man’s cap.
Don’t wear tight garters.
Don’t forget your toolbag
Don’t attempt a “century” [a 100-mile ride]
Don’t coast. It is dangerous.
Don’t boast of your long rides.
Don’t criticize people’s “legs.”
Don’t wear loud hued leggings.
Don’t cultivate a “bicycle face.”
Don’t refuse assistance up a hill.
Don’t wear clothes that don’t fit.
Don’t neglect a “light’s out” cry.
Don’t wear jewelry while on a tour.
Don’t race. Leave that to the scorchers.
Don’t wear laced boots. They are tiresome.
Don’t imagine everybody is looking at you.
Don’t go to church in your bicycle costume.
Don’t wear a garden party hat with bloomers.
Don’t contest the right of way with cable cars.
Don’t chew gum. Exercise your jaws in private.
Don’t wear white kid gloves. Silk is the thing.
Don’t ask, “What do you think of my bloomers?”
Don’t use bicycle slang. Leave that to the boys.
Don’t go out after dark without a male escort.
Don’t without a needle, thread and thimble.
Don’t try to have every article of your attire “match.”
Don’t let your golden hair be hanging down your back.
Don’t allow dear little Fido to accompany you
Don’t scratch a match on the seat of your bloomers.
Don’t discuss bloomers with every man you know.
Don’t appear in public until you have learned to ride well.
Don’t overdo things. Let cycling be a recreation, not a labor.
Don’t ignore the laws of the road because you are a woman.
Don’t try to ride in your brother’s clothes “to see how it feels.”
Don’t scream if you meet a cow. If she sees you first, she will run.
Don’t cultivate everything that is up to date because yon ride a wheel.
Don’t emulate your brother’s attitude if he rides parallel with the ground.
Don’t undertake a long ride if you are not confident of performing it easily.
Don’t appear to be up on “records” and “record smashing.” That is sporty.

My, how far we’ve come!

Resolve to Ride in 2012 and get a free 10-ride pass on FAST

Trucy Phan — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:00:11 +0000

Photo credit: Anthony Ramos

Fairfield and Suisun Transit (FAST) has a great gift to get you connected for the New Year! Resolve To Ride on Solano Express Route 40 in 2012 and receive a FREE 10-Ride Pass for Route 40!

Really?

Yep, the promotion is effective February 27 through March 2, 2012. Route 40 runs Monday through Friday between Walnut Creek and Vacaville, and links to both the Pleasant Hill/Contra Costa Centre and Walnut Creek BART stations. Enjoy riding on comfortable seats while someone else worries about the traffic.

Signing up is Easy!

From home

Call 707-434-3800

By Mail

Download and complete this Resolve to Ride Registration form, before mailing it to:

Fairfield and Suisun Transit (FAST)
2000 Cadenasso Drive
Fairfield, CA 94533

In Person

Stop by 2000 Cadenasso Drive in Fairfield, CA, open Monday – Thursday, from 8 am – 12 pm and 1 – 5 pm.

511CC Week in Review: Jan. 14-Jan. 20, 2012

morgan — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 20:53:23 +0000

Stranded on the road? Call 511 Freeway Aid! BART trains of the future, BART running special hours on Presidents Day Weekend.

511.org introduces 511 Freeway Aid

morgan — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:00:51 +0000

For decades, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission Service Authority for Freeways and Expressways (MTC SAFE) has provided a lifeline to Bay Area motorists by installing and maintaining a nine-county call box system. While the boxes have become a visual reminder of safety on the freeways, their use has continued to decline since the advent and popularity of the cell phone. MTC SAFE saw this change and responded with a cell phone call box service. By dialing 511 and speaking the words “Freeway Aid” you are immediately connected to the call answering center that handles the call box calls without leaving the safety of your vehicle.

If you are broken down, in a non-emergency situation and on the shoulder, please dial 511 and say “Freeway Aid.” Non-emergency situations include having a flat tire, dead battery, running out of gas, stalling, etc. Freeway Aid is like having a roadside call box on your cell phone.

Photo by: Is3

How do I use Freeway Aid?

It’s easy to use! Dial 511 on your cellphone, once connected say “Freeway Aid”. The call with then be transferred to the current call answering center that answer roadside call boxes, which will then determine your location and provide the appropriate assistance for roadside service.

Who will help you?

Freeway Service Patrol (FSP) will help you if you are stranded during peak commute hours (M-F 6am-10am and 3pm-7pm). FSP will provide free roadside assistance such as changing a tire, jump-starting a battery, or providing a free tow off the highway.
Rotational Tow will aid motorists during non-commute hours. Standard rates will apply.
Get stranded on a regional bridge or tunnel? The call will be dispatched to Caltrans.

511 Freeway Aid rapidly, links the three agencies together to deploy the appropriate roadside service(s) to get motorists help and moving again.

Download and print this informational brochure to keep in your glove compartment in case of an incident.

More Information

Freeway Aid was created due to the decreasing use of yellow roadside call boxes, and to ease congestion and non-emergency calls on 911. With 511 Freeway Aid,motorists on regional freeways can now rapidly access and summon non-emergency services, and decrease inappropriate 911 calls.

511 Freeway Aid only provides non-emergency roadside assistance. For information on when you should Dial 911, please visit the California Highway Patrol’s site for information.

For more information about 511 Freeway Aid, please visit the 511 website at 511.org.

511CC Week in Review: Jan. 7-Jan. 13, 2012

morgan — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 20:26:36 +0000

New traffic laws, a traffic light that detects a cyclist approaching, and nominate your favorite bus driver, bike organization or others!

Our weekly news & events roundup for Contra Costa County, East Bay & Bay Area for transit, biking and transportation.